Indigenous Peoples

Tetra Tech is committed to working with Indigenous Peoples as employees, clients, business partners, and strategic interest groups and communities affected by development projects.

According to the United Nations (UN), more than 476 million Indigenous Peoples live in 90 countries across the world, accounting for 6.2 percent of the global population. Tetra Tech’s support of Indigenous Peoples is reflected in our commitment to the UN Global Compact, which supports efforts to end extreme poverty, fight inequality, and address climate change.

Respecting and supporting Indigenous communities

We employ, train, learn from, and partner with Indigenous Peoples in our projects and operations.

We aim to provide sustainable career and business opportunities for Indigenous Peoples. We invite meaningful feedback from the community on each project. We also celebrate successes by publicly recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ accomplishments and contributions to our projects.

Tetra Tech aims to build awareness and understanding within our workforce about Indigenous culture, heritage, and issues in the regions where we work. We train our employees and work with our contractors to ensure they are sensitive to cultural protocols and respect cultural and spiritual values and practices.

Our commitments include:

Respect Indigenous Peoples’ land tenure and property rights and engagement with government institutions and receipt of services, and support capacity building for Indigenous groups
Maximize Indigenous Peoples’ meaningful employment and business opportunities on our projects
Engage Indigenous suppliers in the execution of our contracts and use community facilities whenever possible
Provide training opportunities for community members with a focus on developing transferrable skills
Provide opportunities for community youth and elders, wherever possible, and incorporate their concerns into our project solutions

Building strong partnerships with Indigenous Peoples

We are Leading with Science® around the world to support Indigenous Peoples to develop sustainable, scalable solutions that protect their rights, cultures, and resources and improve their opportunities, environments, and participation in decision-making.

Here are some of the ways we have worked with Indigenous communities to create more resilient communities.

Africa

Indigenous Peoples of Africa face fragile political environments, volatile labor markets, and economic and regulatory uncertainty. Unregistered land leaves millions of households with limited stability and economic growth. Tetra Tech’s long and diverse work history across Africa includes improving land rights to support resilient livelihoods, as well as economic participation for women in tribal communities.

Asia

For more than 20 years, Tetra Tech has provided sustainable development throughout Asia. We work with communities in Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand to develop scalable solutions for their most vulnerable populations. According to Amnesty International, Asia is home to the world’s largest Indigenous population, who face a lack of basic human rights and the exploitation of their natural resources. Our international development services combine science, engineering, and technology to protect Indigenous rights and resources by supporting projects focused on food security, water security, biodiversity conservation, infrastructure, and technology. 

Australia and New Zealand

Tetra Tech’s operations across Australia and New Zealand are focused on integrating diversity and inclusion into the work we do with First Nation communities. Our staff approach their work with authenticity, committing to improve the way we conduct business with First Nation communities through cultural recognition, employment, education, and training opportunities. Additionally, we are honoring First Nation individuals of Asia-Pacific with our Reconciliation Action Plans, which commit to reconciliation through collaboration, mutual respect, and a responsibility to take action.

Canada

With nearly 50 years of experience in the provinces and territories, Tetra Tech has unique capabilities in serving the remote and extreme environments of Canada’s Yukon and Northern Territories. A major challenge for Indigenous Peoples in remote communities is access to basic resources, such as water, transportation, and infrastructure. For First Nation individuals, this can mean shorter life spans caused by chronic health issues and fewer economic opportunities. Our engineering experts work with First Nation communities to establish sustainable resources and support opportunities and socioeconomic benefits to Indigenous Peoples in Canada by partnering with them as subcontractors.

South America

South America has developed into one of the world’s most dynamic economies, yet for Indigenous Peoples, poverty persists, and social well-being remains among the lowest in the hemisphere. Tetra Tech is actively engaged in this region providing cutting-edge international development solutions in food security, environment and forest conservation, governance and community development, land rights, and peacebuilding. Our dedicated staff even partnered with Engineers Without Borders USA to help establish clean, reliable sources of water in the rural communities in Guatemala and other countries.

United States

Eradicating poverty in Indigenous communities begins with education and opportunities. Throughout the United States, Tetra Tech works to maximize Indigenous Peoples’ meaningful employment and business opportunities on our projects as subcontractors and in field, professional, and management positions. We are honored to design solutions that integrate cultural and spiritual values and practices on projects like the Chief Joseph Hatchery for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington or the Meacham Creek Floodplain Restoration for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon. Additionally, our staff had the privilege of inspiring Navajo Nation students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related careers.